Electric switch.



No. 819,821. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. A. A. TIER-ILL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED -030.11, 1902 No, 819,821? PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

A. A. TIRRILL.

' ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED DEO.11, 1902.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE. ALLEN AUGUSTUS TIRRILL, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK. ELECTRIC SWITCH Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

To all whom it may 001 oer-n:

Be it known that I, ALLEN AUGUSTUS TIR- RILL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to contribute to the convenience and efliciency of operation of that type of electric switch wherein handcontrolled means effect the making and breaking of the circuit substantially instantaneously.

An object of the invention is to supply to a switch-indicator instrumentalities operated automatically by the actuation of the switch which shall indicate the condition of the switch relative to the respective circuits.

Herein the invention will be described in connection with an improved snap-switch intended to be placed on a ceiling and to be operated through a depending cord or chain, successive pulls on which alternately make and break the circuit.

All discussion of possible modifications will be omitted until the specific mechanism has been described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of an open cleat or molding work type of switch inclosed in its cover and secured to a subbase. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the switch, the cover being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the switch mechanism. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional views in various vertical transverse planes of the switch mechanism. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatic views illustrating the mode of operation of the switch.

For convenience the mechanism of this switch may be described in four divisions: First, the driven parts, comprising the contacting agencies and their carriers; second, the driving mechanism, consisting of the parts which operate upon the contacting agencies to accomplish immediately the making and breaking of the circuit; third, the actuating instrumentalities controlled by the operator, which compel the operation of the driving mechanism, said drivlng mechanism in turn communicating its action to the driven parts; fourth, the indicator and the means whereby it is operated.

The object of the driving mechanism intcrmediate between the actuating instrumen talities and the driven contacting agencies is to translate the necessarily variant action of the former (it being controlled by hand) to quick decisive action on the part of the latter in order that the make and break of the circuit may be as nearly as practicable instantaneous.

The driven parts comprise contactors G, a shaft F, a shaft-locking pawl n, and its carrier N. The contactors G consist of cylindricalpulleys fixed, as by means of cotterins g, upon the extremities of the shaft F. ach contactor carries a contact-plate I upon its outer face, portions of said contact-plates being bent over onto the tactors so as to constltute metallic connection between different areas of said periphery. As shown herewith, each contact-plate I has three arms, two of which establish metallic communication between diametricallyoppo'site areas of the peri hery of the contac tor, the third arm establishingetallic communication between the other two and an area of said peri hery lying at a quadrants distance from t e areas connected b the first two arms. The contact-plates are suitably associated with s ring-brushes H and H in a manner present to be explained. The pawl-carrier N, rigid with the shaft F, carries the shaft-locking pawl n, which is pivoted to permit its point to rock toward and away from theshaft. This pawl 12, is equipped with a spring which tends to depress the point of the pawl inwardly toward the shaft. The point of the pawl is sufliciently broad to oppose the teeth both of a ratchet L and of a stop-plate O. The shaft F, having the contactors G and the pawl-carrier N rigid upon it, is journaled in the brackets E and E, which are conveniently positioned between arrangement of the mechanism.

The above-described driven parts being collectively rigid are rotated concurrently by the driving mechanism. It is important that their rotation be divided into successive steps which shall effect alternately. the making and breaking of the circuit. To this end the rotation of the driven parts is subjected to a series of arrests resulting from the cooperation of the shaft-locking pawl n with successive fixed shaft-stops arranged conveniently on a stationary stop-plate Q. As shown herewith, there are four suchshaft stops so disposed as to arrest the rotation of peripheries of the conthe contactors to secure compactness in the the driven parts at successive intervals when the contact-plates I are in certain predetermined positions relative to spring-brushes H and The stop-plate O is conveniently rigid with the bracket E. The shaft-stops are given conveniently the form of ratchetteeth which engage the point of the shaftlocking pawl. When properly assembled, the stop-plate O and the pawl-carrier N are positioned close together, so that the shaftlocking pawl will play against the shaft-stops, being retained thereagainst by the spring on the pawl-carrier. The pawl cooperates with these shaft-stops to arrest the rotation of the driven parts. in the forward operative movement of the switch, which for convenience will be stylec positive rotation. The period of inaction succeeding each arrest eontinues until the pawl is released from its. engagement with a shaft-stop, permitting the riven parts to be rotated another step by the driving mechanism.

A principal element of the driving mechanism is a spiral shaft-motor spring M, attached at one end to said driving mechanism, the other end being operatively connected with the shaft. When wound up, this shaftmotor spring tends to impart rotary motion to the shaft through said pawl-carrier. Besides supplying the immediate motive power which rotates the shaft the driving mechanism also releases the shaft-locking pawl from its detaining shaft-stop at appropriate times in the operation of the switch and also recfeives from the-actuating instrumentalities theaction which is transmitted to the driven arts.

The shaft-locking pawl is released from its detaining'shaft -stop by the ratchet L, which is loose pon the shaft It. In the normal condition of the switch when it is at rest the point of the shaft-locking pawl opposes one of the shaft-stops and is also seated in one of the teeth of the ratchet L. \Nhen said ratchet is given positive rotation, the rear face of the tooth next succeeding the one in which the pawl was seated acts as a pawllifter to lift the oint of the pawl outwardly away from the sfiaft. The crest of the nextsucceeding tooth is. at such a distance from the shaft that when said crest has arrived be neath the point of the pawl in the rotation of the r tchet said point of the shaft-locking pawl will be lifted clear of' its shaft-stop,

whereupon the rotation of the shaft will be for the moment uru-ibstructed. The spiral shaft-motor spring is wound around the shaft, one' end being operatively connected to said shaft, the other end being connected to the ratchet L. (onsequently whcri the ratchet Lis given positive rotation the motor-spring is wound up to an increasing tension, which tends to impart positive rotation to the shaft.

The actuating instrumentulitics act upon.

the driving mechanism through the ratchet L. The principal actuating instrumentality is the reciprocating sheave L, which is mounted loosely upon the shaft adjacent to the bracket E. The travel of this reciprocating sheave is limited by a projecting lug k rigid therewith, which abuts upon the edge of said bracketE at each limit of the sheaves reciprocation. This lug is conveniently given the form of a pin rigid with the sheave which projects beyond the extreme lateral 'fflane of said sheave upon the side nearest to the said bracket E. The sheave is maintained in its normal position,.with the lug abutting against the lower part of the bracket E, by the tension of a retracting coil-spring k, attached at one end to the bracket and at its other end to the sheave. The concave periphery of the sheave reby its own tension. The sheave is removed fromits normal position to its opposite limit of motion by means of a cord or chain attached thereto. .VVhen a pull is exerted through said cord or chain, the sheave is rotated about the shaft, the cord being tan ent to the circumference of the sheave. t is tension of the retracting-spring k, whence the sheave will return to its lnitial normal position when the pull on the cord is relaxed. Upon the face of the sheave farthest from spring-pawl Z. When the parts are properly assembled, the inner face of the sheave is positioned close to a face of the ratchet L, so that the aetuating-pawl Z is in a position to engage the teeth of said ratchet. The actuating-pawl Z-is so disposed that a positive movement of the sheave (i. e., the movement imparted by pulling the cord) drives the point of the pawl against one of, the teeth of the ratchet L and gives thereto a rotary motion. The reciprocation of the sheave, as shown herewith, is limited, by the lug is, to occur through substantially. the space of a quadrant. Hence a single positive movement of said sheave gives to the ratchet rotary movement through a quarter-revolution.

The switch illustrated in the accompanying drawings is a double-pole switch having a pair of spring-brushes II ll, associated with each of the contactors G. Each brush H extends in a vertical direction from its point of attachment to the base A of the switch to contact at its free end with the periphery of the contactor, wh le each brush ll" has an arm h at its free end arranged to contact with ninety degrees removed from the point of contact of the brush ll. These brushes are supplied with binding-posts J of any convenient sort. For tln purposes 'of the present i the brushes at opposite ends ol the shall. be

ceives said coil-spring, which is held in place.

the periphery of the contaclol at a point' specific onslrlu'tion it is desirable thattu ool' evident that the pull on the cord opposes the the bracket E there is pivoted an actuating 1 5 brackets.

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in direct electrical communication, for which reason there is supplied a band or wire j of any suitable conductor.

The brushes H H, the brackets E E and the binding posts J aresecured to a base A in any convenient manner, said base being supplied, preferably, with suitable apertures for the reception of Wires leading to the bindingposts and for the passage of screws which atro'tach the switch to the ceiling or elsewhere.

cord rotates the sheave throu h a quarterrevolution, thereby rotating t e ratchet L through the agency of the pawl Z. When this occurs, the shaft-locking pawl n is in engagement with a shaft-stop which maintains 2 5 the shaft stationary. Oneen d of the spiral motor-spring being operatively connected to the shaft, said end is also stationary. The other end of the spring being attached to the ratchet L, the spring is wound up to an in- 3 creasing tension as ratchet is rotated. While the motor-spring is being wound up one of the pawl-lifters of the ratchet Lis gradually lifting the shaft-locking pawl 12. from its engagement with a shaft-stop, so that when the said sprin has reached acertain maximum tension t 1e pawl is released, leavin the shaft free to rotate under the impulse o the motor-sprin When the shaft-locking pawl has been re eased and the shaft rotated by the motor-spring, the ratchet L will be brought to a standstill by reason of the limited movement of the sheave L, which can actuate the movement of thedriving mechanism through a limited rotation only. The

limit of this rotation is reached just after the shaft-locking pawl has been released from its detaining shaft-stop. Consequently during the positive rotation of the shaft and the pawl-carrier the ratchet L remains station- The rotation of the shaft will continue until the shaft-locking pawl n is engaged anew by the next succeeding shaft-stop, the pawl being depressed into engagement therewith by its spring. The rotation of the shaft 5 5 between the release of the shaft-lockiiig pawl and its subse uent rengagement effects the make or breiik of the circuit or otherwise changes the same in a manner hereinafter to be described. When this has been accomplished, the actuating-cord may be relaxed,

whereupon the reciprocating sheave will return to its initial normal position. The springactuating pawl I will be carried to its former position and will there be in a posi tion to engage another tooth on the ratchet L. Another pull on the cord will initiate a repetition of the above-described operation, the effect upon the circuit varying according to the previous relative positions of the brushes and the contact-plates. It is evi dent that each pull on the actuating-cord will rotate the contact-plates through the distance of a quadrant. F i

The. effects of the different positions of the contact-points relative to the brushes are well illustrated in diagram in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and

10. In these views the numerals 1 and 2 indicate incandescent lamps. When the contact-plates occupy the positions shown in Fig. 7, the electric current will follow the course indicatedby the arrows, lamp No. 1 being lighted thereby, lamp No. 2 being out. When the contact-plates occupy thepositions shown in Fig. 8, the current will follow the course indicated by the arrows, lighting lamp No. 2, lamp No. 1 being out. When the contact-plates occupy the positions in Fig. 9, the current will follow, the course indicated. by the arrows, lighting both lamps 1. and 2. When the contact-plates occupy the positions shown in Fig. 10, the circuit will be broken, and neither lamp will be lighted.

It is highly desirable to employ in connection with the above-described switch some means controlled by the operating mechanism for indicating the condition of the switch at any particular time. For example, a disk D may be supplied mounted rigidly on the shaft, a portion of its periphery protruding through a slot 1') in the cover B of the switch. Those portions of the disk disclosed to the eye of the operator at various periods of the operation of the switch may be appropriately colored or lettered to indicate the pending condition of the current. (See Fig. 1.)

As is apparent, changes entirely within the scope of my invention may be made in the particular structure or embodiment of the inventionherein shown and described.

I claim as my invention- 1. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying the contact making and breaking devices{ a shaft-motor spring operativcly connected with the shaf t a series of stationary shaft-stops arranged peripherally around the shaft; a pawl-carrier fixed to the shaft having a shaft-locking spring-pawl cooperating in succession with said shaft-stops a step-by-stcp moving ratchet-wheel loose on the shaft and connected with said shaftmotor spring to wind up the same, said ratchet-wheel having a series of pawl-lifters adapted to disengage said shaft-locking pawl from said shaft-stops respectively, each pawl-lifter acting to lift the pawl as the ratchet-wheel completes one of its steps in advance and after the shaft-mot0r spring has been wound up a reciprocating actuator having a spring-pawl cooperating with said ratchctavhcel to advance the same, thereby windin up the shaft-motor spring; handcontrol ed means for advancing said actuator; a spring to return the actuator, and stops to limit the movement of the actuator in both directions.

2. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying the contact making. and breaking devices; a shaft-motor spring operativelyconnected with the shaft; a series of stationary shaft-stops arranged peripherally around the shaft; apawl-carrier fixed to the shaft having a shaft-locking spring-pawl cooperating in succession with said shaftstops; a step-by-step moving ratchet-wheel loose on the shaft and connected with said shaft-motor spring to wind up the same, said ratchet-wheel having a series of pawl-lifters adapted to disengage said-shaft-locking pawl from said shaft-stops respectively, each pawllifter acting to lift the pawl as the ratchetwheel completes one of its steps in advance and'after the shaft-motor spring has been wound up and means forgiving said ratchet advance movement.

3. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying the contact making and breaking devices; a shaft-motor spring operatively connected with the shaft; a series,

of-stationary shaft-stops arranged peripherally around the shaft; a pawl-carrier fixed to the shaft having a shaft-locking spring-pawl cooperating in succession with said shaftstops ;3 a step-by-step moving ratchet-wheel loose on the shaft and connected with said shaft-motor spring to wind up the same; means for rotating said ratchet; and means for releasing said pawl when said shaft-motor spring has been wound up.

4. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying the contact making and breaking devices; a shaft-motor spring operatively connected with the shaft to rotate the same; a shaft-stop to arrest the rotation 4 of the shaft; a shaft-locking pawf attached to'the shaft and cooperating with said shaftstop; means for rotating said shaft through the agency of said spring; and means for releasing said pawl from the shaft-stop.

5. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying thecontact making and breaking devices; means shaft; a series of stationary shaft-stops ar ranged peripherally around the shaft a pawlcarrier fixed to the shaft having a shaft-locking spring-pawl cooperating in succession with said shaft-stops; a step-by-ste moving ratchet-wheel loose on the shaft, sai ratchetwheel having a series of pawllifters adapted to disengage said shaft-locking pawl from said shaft-stops respectively, each pawl-lifter acting to lift the pawl as the ratchet-wheel completes one of its steps in advance when the shaft is under a rotary impulse; a reciprocating actuator having a spring-pawl couperating with said ratchet-wheel to advance for rotating said the same; and means for reciprocating the actuator.

6. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying the contact making and breaking devices; means for rotating said shaft; a series of stationary shaft-stopsto arrest the rotation of the shaft; a pawl operatively connected to said shaft to cooperate in succession with said shaft-stops; a series of pawl-lifters adapted to disengage said pawl from said shaft-stops respectively, each pawl-lifter acting to lift the pawl when the shaft is about to be rotated; a reciprocatin actuator which effects the rotation of said shaft and also operates said pawl-lifters; and means for reciprocating said actuator.

7. A snap-switch having, in combination,

a contact making and breaking devicecomprising oppositely-disposed cylindrical con tactors of insulating material; contact plates of conducting material disposed on the pcripheries of said contactors, the contactplates being in relatively different: ositions on their-respective contactors space brushes for each carrier, one brush being-at arr-angle to the plane of the other; a conductor' between two homologous brushes of :the two carriers; and means for rotating the carriers.

8. A snap-switch having, in combination, a contact making and breaking device comprising oppositel -disposed contractors-of insulating materia contact-platesof conducting material on' said contactors; spaced brushes for each contactor; a conductor between two homologous brushes of the two contactors, and means for rotating said contactors.

9. A snap-switch having, in combination, a contact making and breakin device, operating mechanism therefor, an an indicator, separate from and controlled by the operating mechanism, projecting through the cover to show at any time the pending condition of the switch.

- 10. A snap-switch having, in combination, a contact making and breaking device, operating mechanism therefor, a slotted cover for v any time the pending condition of the switch;

1 1. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying the contact making and breaking devices, means for rotating said shaft, a cover inclosing said shaft, and an indicator uponsaid shaft which, projects through an aperture in said cover and which is adapted to show at any time the pending condition of the switch.

12, A snap-switch having; in-eonibination, a contact making and breaking device, a cover and operating mechanism for said device, and means separate from the operatin mechanism, mounted within said cover an projecting without the same, controlled by said operating mechanism to indicate at any time the pending condition of the switch.

13. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying contact making and breaking means, tensional driving means for said shaft; a rigid, stationary shaft-stop; yielding means mounted upon the shaft to coact with said stop to prevent rotation of the shaft in response to the action of the tensional driving means; means for actuating said stop-engaging means to cause the same to yield in its engagement with the stop, and thereby to allow rotation of the shaft in response to the action of said tensional driving means, one- Way clutch mechanism mounted loosely upon the shaft for storing power in the tensional driving means and for operating the stop-engaging actuating means aforesaid.

14. A snap-switch having, in combination, a shaft carrying contact making and breaking device; tensional driving means for said shaft; a stationary shaft-stop aresilient means mounted upon the shaft to coaotwith said stop to prevent rotation of the shaft in response to the action of the tensional driving means; means for actuating said resilient means to cause the same to yield in its en.

gageinent with the stop, and thereby to deliver said shaft to the action of the tensional driving means, one-way clutch mechanism mounted loosely upon the shaft for storing power in the tensional driving means and for operating the stop-engaging actuating means aforesai In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing 1 witnesses.

ALLEN AUGUSTUS TIRRILL. Witnesses:

I CnAnLEs F. REYNOLDS,

[ HoBE h/IATTICE. 

